But DK responded well through stand-off Kieran Pinches, who kicked four penallties to put his side ahead at the break.

Harrogate hit the ground running at the start of second-half exchanges as Rowntree and Matthews ran in two tries within the space of four minutes resumption.

DK never recovered from that point and didn’t help matters when flanker Luke Greenwood was yellow carded for an off the ball incident.

Harrogate added a further try through flanker Aarin Yorke before new signing from Cinderford Tom Scrivens came on at scrum-half and secured a try on 65 minutes after his pack trundled the Yorkshiremen back over their own line.

However, it was Harrogate who finished on top as Matthews and Edwards took their side’s try tally to seven with Rowntree adding four further conversions for good measure.

Holloway remains optimistic and said: “The whole club needs to get behind the team at the moment. “It’s no good deluding ourselves, we need to improve and fast. “We’re just searching for that first win at the moment and if we could get that, it would do wonders for confidence.

“The side has proved it can put in a good 40 minutes, we just need a good 80 minutes from them now”.

DK can welcome back Jimmy Gore following his red card against Hull for the trip to Macclesfield, while Tom May should return at prop.